GALLERIES > BIRDS > WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW [Zonotrichia leucophrys]
Location: Morro Bay, CAGPS: 35.3W, -120.9N MAP
Date: March 8, 2008
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Location: Elings Park (SB), CAGPS: 34.4W, -119.7N MAP
Date: October 7, 2007
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Location: Elings Park (SB), CAGPS: 34.4W, -119.7N MAP
Date: October 7, 2007
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Location: Ballona Wetlands, CAGPS: 34.0W, -118.4N MAP
Date: April 10, 2006
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Location: Ballona Wetlands, CAGPS: 34.0W, -118.4N MAP
Date: April 10, 2006
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Location: Monterey, CAGPS: 36.6W, -121.9N MAP
Date: May 26, 2007
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SPECIES INFO
The White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) is a medium-sized sparrow native to North America.
Adults are 18 cm long and have black and white stripes on their head, a grey face, brown streaked upper parts and a long tail. The wings are brown with bars and the underparts are grey. Their bill is pink or yellow. They are similar in appearance to the White-throated Sparrow but do not have the white throat markings.
Their breeding habitat is brushy areas across northern Canada and the western United States. They nest either low in bushes or on the ground under shrubs and lay 3-5 brown-marked grey or greenish-blue eggs.
These birds forage on the ground or in low vegetation, but sometimes make short flights to catch flying insects. They mainly eat seeds, other plant parts and insects. In winter, they often forage in flocks.
The call of the White-crowned Sparrow has many dialects, but the pugetensis subspecies sounds similar to "You can't come and catch me!"
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